Black Clover: The Harlequin Chronicles
by Sergeant OwlFox
Summary: Hellen of the Farshtan Clan. Hellen of the Orphans. Hellen of the Glass Dragons. Hellen, the Girl of No Words. Hellen, the one who would become the strongest.
1. Year 1: First Spring - Stage 1, Step 1

**Year One: First Spring - First Stages, Step One  
**

"The Sorcery Emperor has returned!"

"They won the battle against the invading army!"

"Two cheers for our hero, the Sorcery Emperor!"

The green haired girl gazed blankly at the city, hearing the distant calls, before looking away. She had larger concerns than some 'Sorcery Emperor' or 'Magic Knights.'

"HELLEN!" She flinched at the shout and turned to see her friend Asta, a boy a bit younger and much shorter than herself. "I PROMISE I'LL MAKE YOU HAPPY! WILL-"

She shook her head, going back to tending to a small patch of flowers. Asta looked taken aback before grinning, clenching his fists and looking at her.

"I won't give up now, Hellen!"

She shook her head.

"I'm still in this game!"

She turned and glared at him slightly, shaking her head 'no' again.

"W-"

The ash blond boy was suddenly blown back by wind, and Hellen let out a small sigh before looking up to face a boy with short, wavy black hair and calm eyes, who was taller than her. "Thanks again, Yuno."

He nodded to her politely before turning to Asta, who was glaring at him.

"Asta, how many times have you asked her?" A small child asked, looking at the blond boy with a bored look.

"Yeah, yeah! You're making Big Sister Hellen feel nervous!"

"Shut up you little shrimps! And Yuno! Why'd you have to blow me away?!"

"You're short, annoying, can't sit still and have absolutely no luck with women. To top it all off, you're proposing to my fiancée."

"IS THAT ANY WAY TO TALK TO SOMEONE YOU'VE GROWN UP WITH FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS, HUH PRETTYBOY?!" Yuno frankly ignored the loud male and turned to Hellen.

"Would you like some help, Hellebore[1]?" He asked, and she smiled at him, placing a hand shovel in the offered hand.

"DON'T IGNORE ME!"

"Asta, no matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to get into any sort of relationship with her," one of the children said, looking up at Asta.

"Yeah, yeah!"

"You won't be able to marry her, Asta. She's _my_ fiancée," Yuno stated, looking at the shorter boy dead in the eye. "Plus, you're 15; too young to be married to anyone.

"You're young too!"

"There _is_ a reason why we still aren't married," Yuno commented offhandedly, eyes still trained to the flowers.

"R-right..." Asta slumped over slightly before springing up once again, pointing at Yuno, who glanced at the ash blond. "FIGHT ME YUNO!"

"No," he bluntly rejected before returning to the flowers. Asta and the younger children began to bicker in the background as the two finished tending to the flowers. Hellen stood up, roughly wiping some sweat from her forehead before walking to her large woven basket full of clothes.

"I'm going to hang these up..." she said softly, and the boy's eyes softened slightly.

"Here..." Yuno held out his hands, and the wet clothes drifted out, suspending in the air before spiraling around at a fast pace, giving the illusion of a sphere. After a moment, the black haired boy stopped the circulation and the now-dry articles of cloth spread wide, and Yuno glanced at his fiancée to see her reaction.

Hellen smiled at him, and watched the dry cloth neatly fold itself and drop back down into the basket.

His cheeks dusted pink and a ghost of a smile crossed his lips before turning to Asta, his face quickly returning to its stoic state. Asta had a(n extremely) fake smile on his face as he took an axe. "Here, I'll cut some firewood..."

Yuno beat him to it, by swiping his arm downwards. The sound of chopped wood falling to the ground reached Asta, who glared at Yuno. "You two're the same age, but Yuno's so much further along than you!" One of the children pointed out, and Asta let out a small 'urk' noise before running up to Yuno.

"HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!" Asta demanded, shaking the taller boy back and forth by his shoulders. After a moment, Yuno slapped Asta's hands away and simply stated "This is the result of unrelenting work and talent."

Hellen sighed and looked at one of the Sisters from the clergy, who smiled at the girl before walking up to Asta. "It's alright, Asta, the awarding ceremony is coming soon, you're sure to be able to use magic."

"You're right, Sister!" Asta instantly cheered up, a determined look coming to his face. "I'll get a Grimmoire _stronger than everyone else's_ and become a Magic Knight! And then I'll become the Sorcery Emperor! Then I'll come back and rebuild this dirty little church!"

"Excuse my dirty little church!" The head priest shouted in protest, but was ignored.

"He's still saying that," one of the children sighed.

"I understand your determination," Sister began, "But I'll tell you now; almost all of the people who become Magic Knights are of royalty or noble blood, that are born with extremely well-developed and promising Magic powers."

Hellen looked up before looking at the basket again. "We are all of low-class and are orphans, and the chances of any of us becoming Magic Knights are low...but I doubt myself becoming a Magic Knight more than I doubt your and Yuno's abilities. In fact, I don't doubt you two at all."

Yuno and Asta watched Hellen in surprise as she hefted the large basket onto her head and balanced it, holding one side with one hand, the other wiping more sweat from her forehead, before she smiled. "I just don't believe I'll ever make it as far as you two."

"Hellen-" Yuno didn't get to finish his sentence; his fiancée was already around the corner, headed back to the sleeping quarters to sort out the clothes.

The two boys stood in silence, slightly in awe that Hellen had spoke, before Asta 'hmph'ed and ran off. "Asta, where are you going?" The Sister called, but Yuno just shook his head.

"Leave him; he'll be back by dinner."

* * *

 _I can remember when I saw Yuno and Asta for the first time. I was two-and-a-half years old then; about two years and a quarter older than them._

 _I don't know why I can remember something so vividly at such a young age, maybe it was Asta's pale hair, or maybe Yuno's amber eyes or their strange auras._

 _"Hellebore, would you like to see them?" Sister asked, and I nodded wordlessly. I crept up to the baskets and crouched down, peeking in at them. The two infants stopped crying for a moment, peering at me curiously before smiling, laughing._

 _I was taken aback for a moment before reaching out to the blond one's basket. He 'grinned' and he grabbed a hold of my hand and laughed a bit harder, closing his eyes happily. I smiled softly at him before the other started crying and I turned to him._

 _His aura was bright, full of life, but slightly dark, while the other's was dim, full of determination and ambition._

 _Hesitantly, I reached to him. The boy slowly stopped crying, spotting my hand and eagerly reaching out and snatching my hand, pulling it forward and rubbing his face against it, as if it were a doll._

 _I smiled gently, watching as the small boy began to fall asleep, my hand still in his firm grip._

 _"They really like you," Sister commented, and I looked over my shoulder, a bit startled. "Do you want to name them, Hellebore?"_

 _"..." I said nothing, looking back at the two boys, gazing at her excitedly. "Ah...Asta," I said softly, pointing at the blond child before gazing at the black haired one. "Yu...no." I smiled in a proud fashion. "Asta, Yuno!"_

 _Sister looked a little surprised before smiling. "All right, Asta and Yuno it is!"_

~•~

 _"Hurry up, Hellen!" Asta said eagerly, jumping in place. I ran out, wearing a pair of overalls, short sleeved shirt and knee-length leather boots with a silver toe-cover and iron bottoms and short heels._

 _I'd gotten them as a gift from a visiting noble who had been impressed by my Magical talent and knowledge. I had received the pair of boots, a ring and a silver hair piece 'to remember him by.'_

 _"There you are!" Yuno smiled, and grabbed her arm and pulled her along as they ran into the woods. "Let's play hide-and-seek!"_

 _I smiled and nodded, and the two boys cheered._

* * *

Hellen watched Yuno walk off after Asta before turning around, her boots clacking against the stone road. 'Now to wait for March to come...'


	2. Year 1: First Spring - Stage 1, Step 2

**Year One: First Spring - First Stages, Step Two**

March soon came, and the day had come.

Hellen waited by the entrance of the Grimoire Tower, gazing at the group of young mages, searching for her two companions.

"Hellen! Hellen!" Asta ran out from behind her and tackled her from behind. She fell to the ground, letting out a small sound of pain when her face hit the stone ground. "Where were you? Yuno and I were looking all over!"

The girl said nothing, merely pushing him off of her and pointing to the ground where she stood as a response.

"Huh?! You mean you were here to whole time?" He exclaimed and sighed when she nodded in confirmation. "Well, the ceremony's about to start! C'mon!" Hellen let the energetic boy grab onto her arm and pull her into the Tower.

"Welcome to the ceremony, young ones!" The voice grew louder as Asta pulled Hellen into the main chamber, which was a colossal (height-wise) room, in a cylinder shape, the walls covered in shelves, books all over them.

Hellen took a moment to wonder why the Tower was full, rather than empty. Where did all these Grimoires even come from, anyways?

"Today, your future will be granted to you, with faith, hope and love!" The old mage said, smiling under his beard. "I am the head of this Grimoire Tower. Now then, is the future Sorcery Emperor amongst us?"

"Look, it's those rats from the church..." Hellen heard, and looked over her shoulder to see a group of nobles whispering among themselves.

"They look so...poor." "They don't need to give them _Grimoires_ to put them on the same level as us."

Hellen blocked out the mage and glared at the group heatedly, hoping with all her heart they would be sent to Hell when they died. The nobles felt the scorching gaze and their eyes widened slightly out of fear and they stopped talking, searching the crowds for the one responsible, but came up with nothing.

"-re Conferment!" Hellen was snapped back to the old mage as those words left his mouth, and she gazed in awe as Grimoires floated down from the various shelves, each finding someone to pair up with. The girl heard people talk amongst themselves, comparing and contrasting their Grimoires as she held hands with Yuno, intertwining their fingers as she nervously waited for her Grimoire.

After a moment, Asta held his arms up. "Excuse me...a Grimoire hasn't come my way!"

There was a moment of silence before people broke out into laughter.

"I'm sorry...maybe try again next year?" The mage offered, and Hellen frowned, hugging Yuno's arm to her chest. The boy glanced at his fiancée before looking up once again as a bright light descended towards the two. Yuno held out his free hand, and the Grimoire floated above it, a bright light shining around it. Hellen squinted and took a look at it before gasping slightly.

"Four leaf...clover," she whispered in awe, before smiling, proud of the taller boy she was holding on to. Soon after, another Grimoire came flying down, glowing a warm golden light. She held out her hand, touching it, and it suddenly shrunk to a few centimeter thick book, of a tiny octagonal shape, a wooden cover on each side, golden patterns over them and a gem embedded on the front cover, the image of a clover engraved under the ruby.

"A four leaf?! And a two leaf clover?!" Someone exclaimed. Hellen and Yuno looked down at her petite Grimoire where, sure enough, there was the engraving of a two-leaf clover. Yuno's eyes sparked with interest before he looked up again.

"Amazing! The four-leaf clover!"

"But what about the two-leaf clover..?"

"I heard that the first Grimoire to ever exist had two leaves on the clover..."

"This is incredible!"

"I will become the Sorcery Emperor," Yuno's voice echoed throughout the Tower, strong and determined. Silence reigned before cheers rose.

"Yuno's so great!"

"He's so cute too!" Hellen and Yuno's grip on each other's hands tightened slightly at the call, Yuno glancing at his fiancée as she glared at the woman who called him 'cute.'

"A street rat like him..?"

"And her...she looks familiar..."

"There has to be _some_ sort of mistake..."

Yuno turned around and glared at all of the nobles, and shivers went down their spines.

"Yuno..." Yuno and Hellen turned to see Asta with a determined look in his eyes. "JUST YOU WAIT! I'LL CATCH UP RIGHT AWAY! 'CUZ RIGHT NOW..." The blond pointed at himself. "I'M YOUR ONLY RIVAL!"

Yuno stared at Asta for a moment, blocking out the sounds of the others ridiculing Asta before gently removing Hellen from his arm and walking past his 'childhood friend.'

"...Ridiculous."

Hellen frowned as her fiancé walked off, before walking over to Asta and looking down at him, placing her hands on his shoulders. He looked up, his eyes blank, before shaking his head and pushing her hands off. "I'm fine, Hellen..."

She watched him walk off as well before the head Priest of the church placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's head back and prepare a feast for your fiancé!"

"...and Asta," she murmured before walking after Yuno. She soon found him outside one of the entrances of the tower and jogged up to him. He looked at her, and waited for her to be by his side before offering her a hand, which she took. She smiled at him, before also looking at the closed door.

"The star of the show shouldn't hang around all day like this..." a male voice interrupted the peaceful silence. Hellen's eyes widened as the sound of chains flying through the air reached her and she pushed Yuno out of the way, and she was struck by a binding spell.

"HELLEN!" Yuno exclaimed, trying to run towards her but a man stood beside her with a knife.

"Summoning Magic, Full Circle Bind..." the man said. "This spell will restrict her from moving, and prevent her from using magic..." He took her Grimoire from her messenger bag. "Which is perfect."

"Get away from her," Yuno demanded, trying his best to remain level headed, moving to run towards them.

"Don't move!" He held the knife close to Hellen's chest, and Yuno immediately stopped. "Oho, you really like this girl, don't you?" He held the knife a bit closer to her, and pulled on her hair. Hellen winced, but not a sound came from her. Yuno gritted his teeth.

"Who the Hell are you?" He questioned, and the man laughed.

"I used to be a Magic Knight not too long ago, I was even making a name for myself...'Chain Master LeButy.' But now? Now I'm just a humble bandit." LeButy held out his hand, and the four-leaf clover Grimoire floated over to him. "All Grimoires choose their master, but there are tons of people out there who'd pay ten times a king's ransom to get these...even though you two were chosen my these Grimoires, you were just chosen, so you're no threat to me at all...your legend will end long before it began, boy."

"WAIT RIGHT..." A voice suddenly boomed, and something rolled past and rammed into the wall of the tower. The three stared at it for a moment before Asta popped up, face bruised. "...THERE! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, THIEF?"

"Asta..." Yuno trailed off, slightly surprised.

"Hm? Oh, you're that pathetic kid that didn't get chosen by a Grimoire," LeButy mused, an amused smirk playing on his face.

"Yeah, that's me! Glad you remember! I'm that pathetic kid!" Hellen frowned, struggling slightly, but the knife punctured her skin slightly, drawing a bit of blood. She winced. "A Grimoire is a precious item that is handed down to only one person! Give those back to Hellen and Yuno!"

"Doing twisted things like this aren't out of the norm in the real world, kid, care to die before you see it for yourself?"


	3. Year 1: First Spring - Stage 1, Step 3

****Year One: First Spring - First Stages, Step Three****

"Asta, run!" Hellen suddenly shouted, opening her eyes and turning to the blond boy. He looked at her in a surprised fashion before grinning.

"You think I'm gonna run from someone who took somethin' that ain't theirs?" He shouted, running forward. "And to think you stooped this low!"

"Oh please," LeButy laughed, holding out his hand as his own Grimoire floated. "Who cares if I did? And I won't even have to _break a sweat_ on you."

From the man's hand, the chains sprung forth and wrapped themselves around Asta, who kept running. "Like this is gonna stop me!"

"But it will…" LeButy smirked, and held his arm out. "Chain Magic: Dance of the Chain Snakes."

Asta's eyes widened as the chain's end link turned into the head of the fanged reptile, and they attacked him, biting into him and sinking their teeth into his flesh before flinging him against the wall of the Tower.

"Thanks for the short source of entertainment, boy," LeButy said, standing above the boy. "Since you tried ever-so-hard, I'll tell you something…you see, I can sense the amount of Mana someone has using these chains, but you?" The man pointed at the blond boy. "You have none at all! You were _born this way_ , boy. You can't even use magic in the first place~!" LeButy sang, laughing at Asta's helpless state.

The ash blond boy's mind drifted off, his thoughts drowning out what the bandit was saying. 'Seriously?'

"Thinking about it, all I can say is that you're pitiful, boy." Hellen squeezed her eyes shut, looking away from the sight. "You're nothing in comparison to your talented friend his and girly over there," LeButy teased, grinning as he kicked Asta again. "They must've been making fun of you for years now!" He kicked him again. "There isn't a damn thing you can do in this world; you might as well give up. **You were born a loser.** "

"Who…" Yuno began, standing straight and glaring at the bandit. "Are you calling a loser?" Everyone turned to him, and the black haired boy looked LeButy dead in the eye, making him flinch slightly. "He isn't a loser he's my…" Yuno grinned. "Asta is my _rival_."

Asta twitched slightly, though it went unnoticed by LeButy, who was scoffing and gazing at Yuno. "Hmph."

"Hey…" Asta looked up, wiping some of the blood off of his face. "I'm not done yet."

Hellen's eyes widened, and Yuno's brows rose. "Asta…" she whispered.

"Sorry for the unsightly event just now, Yuno, Hellen…" He slowly stood up, still supporting himself by grabbing onto his knees. "Just wait there, okay?" He flashed them a smile. "I'll beat this guy."

There was the sound of something flying, and Hellen looked up, eyes widening again when she saw a tattered book fly down to Asta and hover before him as he looked at it in awe.

"A…Grimoire?" The blond boy murmured, reaching out to touch it.

"I thought so," Hellen spoke up, smiling. "The thought of someone like Asta not being chosen is the dumbest thing I've ever heard." The iron hilt of a rusted sword emerged from the open pages, and Asta grabbed onto it, and a thick and long, black and rusted sword popped out, making the boy lurch forward slightly before regaining his balance.

Asta shakily stood up, leaning on the sword. "That _sword_ is his _magic_?" LeButy muttered in disbelief, watching him. He looked at the cover of Asta's Grimoire and his eyes widened at the sight of a five-leaf clover.

Hellen saw this, and she closed her eyes, smiling slightly. 'The three leaves of the clover symbolize three different traits; faith, hope and love. The fourth is fortune. The fifth…' She looked up, hearing Yuno murmur "A demon."

"How did you do that?!" The bandit exclaimed, pointing at the Mana-less boy in an accusing fashion. "You have no Mana! This shouldn't be possible!"

"This thing is heavy…" Asta muttered to himself, hefting the blade up. "Who knew that all that physical training would come in handy now?" He moved to run towards LeButy when he felt something lift him off the ground and looked at his feet in surprise.

A small drift of wind was carrying him. Asta looked over his shoulder to see Yuno holding out a hand to aid him, while his other hand was trying to free Hellen from the chains. Asta grinned before turning back to LeButy just in time to avoid the snake chains; by slashing them clean in half before the magic chains dissolved into the air.

"He negated my Magic?" The bandit exclaimed in disbelief, flipping to another page in his Grimoire as fast as possible, but didn't do so fast enough. Asta swung his blade, and hit LeButy dead in the side.

"MY MAGIC IS NOT GIVING UP!" The bandit was flung into the air, crashing against a further branch of the tower and smashing a crater into the wall.

All was silent, before Asta doubled over, using his sword as support. "This thing's so damn heavy…but…" He suddenly hugged the Grimoire, rubbing his cheek against it affectionately. "I don't know where you came from, but you're amazing! And you're all battered up; I promise I'll take good care of you!"

Hellen smiled, watching as the Magic chains drifted away, turning into dust.

"You saved us again, Asta," Yuno broke the silence, and Asta looked at him as he walked up to the shorter boy, Hellen in tow. "One of these days, we have to repay you." Yuno stopped in front of Asta and smiled at him, holding out his fist. "Do you still remember our pledge, Asta? Hellen?"

His fiancée nodded, and held her first beside Yuno's, creating an open-sided triangle.

"Yeah, but I need to hear it from you to believe you still remember." Asta held his fist up as well, so their hands were touching. They all opened their mouths to speak.

* * *

 _I can remember that moment. It's already been this long?_

 _The moment we all first promised each other we'd do our best._

 _Yuno, Hellen and I were all in town, but Yuno had gotten his gem pendant stolen from him and I tried to get it back_.

 _"Give it back!" Yuno had pleaded, trying to grab at it, but the man was too tall. Hellen tried as well, jumping much higher, but still missed._

 _"As if! Like street rats like you could have something this precious," the man scoffed, taking a look at the pendant for himself._

 _Yuno teared up, and Hellen crouched beside him, glaring at the man as she hugged the black haired boy in a protective fashion._

 _I couldn't take it anymore._

 _"Give that back to Yuno! That isn't yours!" I had demanded, running forward and pouncing on the man._

 _"Who the Hell are you?!" The man exclaimed, jerking back and holding the necklace out of my reach. He smacked me off before holding out his hand. "Taste my Magic, you slum brat!"_

 _He had struck me with many spells; more than I can recall. I was beaten and bruised, tired, scorched and numb. I couldn't feel anymore, but I still stood strong, panting and trying not to give in and fall. "You…fine, just take it!"_

 _I grinned triumphantly as the pendant hit the ground, and Yuno scrambled up to get it as the man walked off, muttering something under his breath. "Asta!" Hellen ran up to me, crouching down and offering me a hand, which I took._

 _"Why…why didn't you give up?" Yuno spoke up, looking shaken and terrified._

 _"I can't give up, because…" My grin widened. "One day I'll be the Sorcery Emperor!"_

 _Yuno and Hellen stared at me for a moment before Yuno smiled. "I will too."_

 _Hellen nodded in agreement, but said "I just want to be strongest," and I looked at them in surprise before Hellen grinned and held out her fist. "Then…" We all touched out fists._

* * *

 **"Let's see which one of us makes it to the top first!"**


	4. Year 1: First Spring - Stage 2, Step 1

**Year One: First Spring - Second Stages, Step One**

It had been another six long months of Asta training, Yuno (of course) spending his sweet time helping Hellen, before September came, and the trio headed off to the Magic Knight Testing Site.

After all, one had to be a Magic Knight before ever having a chance of becoming the Sorcery Emperor. "This place is HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!" Asta said in awe, sparkles in his eyes as he looked around.

"Is everyone here?" A voice boomed throughout the coliseum, and murmurs spread amongst the contestants. "I'll take that as a yes. The test has officially begun, good luck to you all!"  
Birds suddenly flew down, flocking around the fifteen year olds, and there were a few shouts of surprise. "What's with these birds?"

"I heard that this species gathers around people with less Mana, so whoever has none has tons but whoever has a lot of birds has little Mana."

'Really?' Hellen thought, looking around as she held hands with Yuno.

"Hey, there aren't any birds around those two!"

"No wait, that girl has one."

"It flew away!"

"Oh! It's those two!" One exclaimed, pointing at Hellen and Yuno.

" 'Those two?' "

"Those country bumpkins! The ones chosen by the four-leaf clover and the two-leaf clover!"

"The four leaf?!"

"There's a two-leaf?"

"Hey, Yuno! Hellen!" The two turned to see Asta and their expressions turned blank. "This is the first step to one of us becoming the Sorcery Emperor!" A few murmurs were traded, and Hellen couldn't help but giggle at the sight. "I'll show you the result of my 6 months of training-ing-ing!" He said proudly, as several dozen birds pecked at him, pulling his cheek, sitting in his hair… He kept repeating 'ing' in pain, swatting the birds away. "WHAT'S WITH THESE THINGS?! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"I get that he's a countryman an' all…"

"That's a lot of birds though…"

* * *

"I understand why you would send Hellen and Yuno, but why Asta? And that book he got, is that even a Grimoire?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest."

"Huh?!"

"Since I didn't know, I asked the Magic Knights to take a peek at it."

"Well, he's sure to fail; we'll be seeing him again soon."

* * *

In the meanwhile, Asta was screaming his head off, running from the birds. Hellen sighed, watching her friend dash around the coliseum in a frenzy. Then a certain aura caught her attention and her eyes widened a fraction, and she chased after Asta, but didn't make it in time.

He bumped into a man, and the birds finally flew off. "They're finally gone…stupid birds…" Asta mumbled before looking up, smiling nervously. "S-Sorry for bumping into you—"

" 'The hell're you, brat?" Asta squeaked in fear, seeing a tall, muscular and intimidating man. Hellen finally reached Asta and grabbed onto his arm, trying to pull him away, but Asta didn't move (much).

"Hey, I asked you a question! You wanna die?"

"I-I'm A-Asta!" He forced out, standing rigid.

"Let's go, Asta," Hellen whispered, bringing the man's attention to her. His eyes widened a fraction at the sight of her. He spotted her green hair and his hostility almost completely disappeared. Asta nodded, and Hellen began to pull him away.

"Oh, Yami, there you are," a new voice chipped in, and a blond boy walked towards the trio. "Why over here, though?"

"…talkin' to the kids," Yami replied simply, glaring daggers at Asta.

"Please don't kill any Hopefuls…what are you even doing here?"

"Was tryin' to find the bathroom, got lost and this brat here bumped into me."

"Hey…it's Finral Leulaceis. He's the user of that rare Space Magic, right?"

"Yeah, but I also heard he _loves_ women…"

"Oh, what a pretty lady!" Finral smiled at Hellen, who was squirming nervously under his gaze, and Asta frowned.

"She's already engaged!" He defended, pulling the older female behind him, startling her slightly. Yami narrowed his eyes at this statement, but remained calm otherwise.

"…Then that must be Yami Sukehiro, 'The Titan!' "

"No way! You mean the captain of the **Black Sheep's Crook**?!"

"Yeah!"

"I heard they're a chaotic squad, and deal tons of damage…there isn't a sane man in the group."

"Can you stop glaring at the two, Yami?" Finral requested, and Yami glared at him.

"Who gave you permission to order me around?!"

Yuno gazed at the scene, face blank. 'What are they even doing?' The faint sound of shuffling caught his attention and he turned around, as the birds flew away, and as the last of them disappeared, a group of persons stood on the second level; the first of the viewing levels.

"Oh! It's all of the Magic Knight Squad leaders!" Hellen flinched at the shouts, blocking the sounds out and focusing on the people before her.

"I will be taking the lead for this test," one of them stepped forward, most of his face covered by a masquerade-style-like mask, feathers and colors decorating it.

"It's—"

"It's William Vanjan! The leader of the Golden Sunrise!"

"It's said he's next in line to being the Sorcery Emperor!"

He had rather extravagant clothing, as Hellen would describe them. A dyed shawl with a silk rope, several richly colored shirts and a golden buckle to hold the collar of his shawl close to his neck. She perked slightly when he took out his Grimoire and said "Magic Tree: Descent."

The clouds above parted, and huge tree roots sprouted, rapidly growing downwards. People began to shout in panic, but Hellen just closed her eyes and sighed, knowing they were misunderstanding the situation.

There was no way they would kill the Hopeful.

Suddenly, just as the roots were thin and spiny, and had reached the contestants, brooms grew at the ends of them, offering themselves to their respective person.

"That was freakin' cool!" Finral muttered, and Yami nodded once, subtly, eyes still trained to William.

'So this is the man that's closest to being the next Emperor?' Yuno and Asta thought. Hellen held onto her broom, examining it before looking at the others'. She noted that hers was more straight and tailored than the others, and glanced up at William.

The man smirked and winked at her, saluting before averting his gaze, leaving her confused. "Now then, we will begin the second phase of the Magic Knight Test. From this point on, the phases will be more difficult. We 9 captains will be the ones to look over what you're doing, and when all is said and done, we will choose who we want for our respective squads.

"And whoever isn't chosen by any of us, please understand that that means you've failed." Asta sucked in a breath, brows knitting. "The second phase is, to use that broom and fly on it. It should be a simple task for anyone that has learned to use his or her magic, simply doing so by feel. It is the most basic form of movement magic there is for a Sorcerer, or Mage, whichever you prefer to be called.

"If you can't fly on that broom, you're not worth looking at…" Silence reigned over the contestants before slowly, one-by-one, people tried to fly their brooms.

William sat back down, observing the scene before him. "With this alone, we can tell just how much you understand the inner workings of Magic." He smiled slightly, seeing Yuno and Hellen on their brooms, the former standing, the latter sitting on it upside down, as if gravity were pulling her upwards. "And this year, we have some outstanding Sorcerers…"


	5. Year 1: First Spring - Stage 2, Step 2

**Year One: First Spring - Second Stages, Step Two**

"Dammit, it's those two again…they're good."

"I guess those Grimoires chose them for a reason…"

"Is she flying upside down?!"

As murmurs spread about the couple flying about on their brooms, playing a simple game of tag, Asta was suffering in the background. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get the broom off the ground.

"That's odd," one of the captains said. "Even if you had that little Mana, you should be able to at least _lift_ off the ground."

Hellen heard this and frowned, but twirled upwards and sat on her broom, grasping the front in time to dodge Yuno.

"I can't believe this kid!"

"Well, there's always a first failure, what's he even _doing_ here?"

Alas, Asta was too busy trying to fly to hear anyone whispering behind his back…or in front of him for that matter.

"Hey, you're funny, kiddo!" Asta looked up to see a blond teen, his hair pulled back under a hair band, a small tuft hanging in front of his pale face. "My name is Zeke, what're yours kid?"

"My name is Asta," Asta choked out, still struggling to lift himself off the ground. "This is pretty easy; don't try so hard and you'll get it eventually," Zeke explained, and Asta mumbled something under his breath out of jealousy. 'Heh…' Zeke's seemingly cheerful smile darkened. 'Just help me stand out, Mana-less loser.'

Hellen and Yuno, meanwhile, were taking their sweet time to play around before the next trials came. The third trial, they were to break a small brick wall the best they could. Yuno held out his hand, simply sending a blast of focused air pressure, and the wall smashed to pieces and fell to the ground with small clacks.

Hellen stared at the small Grimoire that floated beside her before holding out her hand. Before she even did anything, the wall exploded, making her flinch, before the fragments of stone began to turn into dust and fly away. Several others watched in awe before she thawed and stared at her hand in surprise. 'I didn't even do anything,' she mused, looking over both sides of her hand before looking at her Grimoire, which was open to a page with the image of a burning fire.

Hellen felt a hand on her arm and looked up to see Yuno, who had a ghost of a smile on his face, congratulating her silently. She smiled in return before awaiting the next trial.

The next was simple; use Magic to shoot a bull's eye on flying targets. Hellen nervously raised a finger into the air and pointed towards one of them, and a small stream of blue light shot straight from her finger towards the target.

Sadly, it missed because it was a straight-headed projectile and the target was moving. Hellen frowned, holding out all her fingers and trying the Spell again. This time, the streams were more focused, but still missed. Grumbling in frustration, she swiped her hand down, and a much larger beam of light short forward and incinerated the target completely.

Again, she was shocked and stared at the ashes in awe as they fluttered to the ground, no longer flying on their own will, instead beginning to float along with the passing wind. Murmurs spread around, about her burning and incinerating targets.

The fifth trial was to create a structure or small object from Magic.

Now this, Hellen concluded, she was completely stumped on. "Small object," she murmured, watching as the others completed the trial with ease…Asta being the exception. Yuno walked over to his fiancée and offered her a small flower, completely made of swirling air and wind. She gingerly took it, holding it in her palms before it dissipated, small dandelion seeds flying along with it.

She smiled at him, reaching out to one of the seeds and touching it. Upon contact, the seeds grouped back together and grew at an incredibly fast pace. Within the next few seconds, it was a small handful of assorted flowers, which she smiled at and offered one to Yuno, who smiled back and accepted it.

William watched the couple's exchange carefully, before humming in thought. The sound of gagging tore him from his thoughts and he turned to face Yami, who was trying not to vomit. "Their lovey-dovey stuff is making me sick…"

William chuckled, stating that he'd best get over it, before looking back at the two, who were chuckling softly before awaiting the next trial. He noted that Hellen tucked the flowers behind her ear while Yuno placed his in a (previously invisible) shirt pocket.

The second-to-last trial: make the acorn grow.

It was a task simple for Hellen, as she specialized in Plant and Nature Magic. She picked up the acorn, and it immediately began to sprout and grew into a healthy young tree as she placed it on the ground (with a bit of effort, she wasn't that strong after all) before turning to observe Yuno's progress.

His acorn grew steadily, and he placed it on the ground, but kept it growing until it was a full-grown tree. She smiled and clapped softly, making Yuno turn to her and ruffle her hair slightly.

As everyone finished (save Asta, who hadn't even gotten his acorn to _start_ growing), William stood and announced: "And we gave come to the final trial of the exam. This trial will be a spar. Pair up any way you want, you'll fight it out with whomever you pick.

"You can use your Grimoire if you want. By now you must know one or two attack Spells, yes?" As these phrases left his mouth, people began to look around nervously, desperately trying to find someone weaker than himself or herself. "A Magic Knight's work is to fight, so show us exactly what you're made of." William finished his announcement and sat back down, smirking. 'Losing here will prove to be costly. Who your opponent is really matters.'

"Asta, fight it out with me!" Hellen turned at the sound of Zeke's voice, and the ash blond turned to the golden blond boy.

"Really?!"

"Of course!" Zeke grinned. Hellen turned to Yuno, about to speak to him when another man stepped in front of her.

"I've always wanted to fight someone with a strong Grimoire," the man stated, before asking "Wanna pair up?" Hellen sent a nervous glance to Yuno, who nodded. In turn, she nodded to the man, who smirked. "Glad to work with you."

"You'll keep fighting until one surrenders or is rendered incapable of continuing. So let's have the first pair step forward."  
Hellen watched Asta and Zeke step forward before frowning, hearing the blond man turn traitor. "You don't need to try anymore, you dirt _street rat_." The green haired girl frankly shut out the rest of his speech, not wanting to hear any of it. Her grip on Yuno's hand tightened, and he squeezed her hand in a reassuring fashion.

Zeke took a step back, holding out his hands an odd, mine-shaped shield formed around him, glowing a rusty orange. He smirked.

"For someone just taking the test, he's got some good Magic," Finral commented from his place in the spectator's level. "Doesn't he look like one of those crazy bastards from Mamoa Mason?" Yami asked, and Finral shrugged. Hellen screwed her eyes shut, hearing the people around her insulting Asta. _Slum rat. Street garbage._

Zeke, confidant he would beat Asta, demanded that the shorter male not hold back and come full force. "Okay…" Asta looked up, seemingly in a trance. "I won't hold back…Hellen!" She perked at her name. "Watch closely, this is what I've been doing the past 6 months…" She nodded obediently, and Asta smirked before he seemed to disappear, reappearing before Zeke, drawing his sword from his Grimoire. "Huh..?" Zeke muttered weakly before Asta slammed the rusted blade into him, smashing the shield and slamming him into the ground, creating a crater and shattering the stone below.

Murmurs of amazement spread around the coliseum, and Yuno and Hellen smiled proudly.

"I don't want to be a Magic Knight just to make some good memories…" Asta began, before he looked up, a determined glint in his eyes. "Call me insane all you want, but I'll be the Sorcery Emperor!"


	6. Year 1: First Sping - Stage 2, Step 3

**Year One: First Spring - Second Stages, Step Three**

"Him?"

Laughs spread amongst the other contestants, and Asta flushed in embarrassment. "YOU ALL SHUT UP, I'LL SHOW YOU!"

Hellen sighed, and her sparring partner chuckled. "He's an amusing boy, isn't he?" She nodded, before turning to the man and gesturing to the center. The man seemed to stare at her before a grin bloomed on his face.

Her eyes narrowed ever-so slightly, since he was wearing a mask over the rest of his face, a bit of blond hair peeking out here and there. He seemed familiar somehow. "We're up next, then?" He asked, and she shrugged nonchalantly. She wasn't confident she would win, but she wanted to gauge his capability.

The man's aura was mysterious and powerful, a monster compared to Hellen's.

"Do I know you?" She asked him softly, and he tilted his head, seeming a bit nervous.

"I believe I've seen you before somewhere, but I know you in no other way," he explained, his aura wavering. Hellen waved it off for now, walking to the center of the circle with the man. They circled around each other, before the man smiled again, a rather typical Grimoire floating beside him.

For a moment, she was able to see his eyes – a warm blue. Hellen flinched back slightly, for some reason feeling _safe_ as she gazed into them. Her Grimoire did not move from her messenger bag, as she felt it would be better to see how strong he was before making a move.

'Heat Magic: Bursting Winds,' she whispered, holding out her hand, and a burst of scorching air blasted forward. The man did not flinch, only holding up his hand so his palm was facing her, and the heat dispersed.

A few let out gasps of relief, feeling the cool air against their skin. Yuno, however, was unaffected.

Hellen's eyes twitched, her arm falling back to her side.

The air was tense, the two daring the other to make a move.

"Such suspense…" Asta muttered, slouching slightly, wishing he had the power the two (who were still staring at each other) had.

"Light Magic: La Espada!" The man suddenly exclaimed, holding out his hand, and a huge spear of light shot out of his palm. As it shot towards Hellen, Yuno's eyes widened.

It was an extremely powerful attack.

William chuckled, and Yami scowled. "Hey, hey…he's going overboard," the captain grumbled, and William tilted his head slightly to look at him.

"Really? I think that the girl will be able to handle it quite well…"

Hellen watched the attack calmly, swiftly holding her hand over the small Grimoire. It flipped a few pages before pausing. She whispered something, closing her eyes.

Time seemed to slow down, before the spear was suddenly gone.

The man faltered slightly, before seeing her Grimoire in front of her, pages towards him, writing appearing on the page as she focused. He smirked. "You recorded it, didn't you?"

Hellen opened her eyes as the page was filled, the book closing and returning to its rightful place in her hand. She nodded once, before vines burst from the ground, wrapping around the man until it almost completely covered him. He struggled slightly, before giving up.

'My eyes...feel heavy,' he thought before they closed, and he went limp.

Hellen snapped her fingers, and the vines slowly retracted. She held out her free hand (her left), revealing the vines that seemed to have streamed out from her fingertips. The vines eventually shrank into her fingertips, and she turned to the captains, her face blank. "Do I win?" Hellen asked.

William nodded, and she bowed slightly, before walking to the man she had fought against. She slung his arm over her shoulder and began to walk towards Yuno.

"Who are you?" She whispered to the 'unconscious' man. He smirked, remaining limp.

"Sharp eye, eh?" He murmured, and she frowned. "I'm surprised you don't recognize me…" he sighed slightly. "I probably shouldn't be…" The man faked waking up, holding his head in a weak fashion. Hellen played along, removing his arm from her shoulder as he 'shakily' stood. "I thought I told you to remember me," he said, and she blinked a few times.

* * *

 _"Here, this way you'll remember me, all right?" The blond haired man asked, my small hands trying to reach to him. He left a small silver hairpiece in my crib before gently handing me to Sister. "Please take care of her…"_

 _"Of course, _ _," Sister smiled at him, one he returned, before he moved to touch me, but faltered, taking his hand back._

 _"I can't touch something I have done something so terrible to…" he whispered before turning, and leaving, his red cape flowing behind him._

* * *

Her eyes widened at the memory, and he smiled, seeing her reach up to her hairpiece slowly.

* * *

 _"Hellebore, someone's come to see you!" Yuno called, running to the girl. She looked up from her book, and stood, dusting off her dress before running after him. She ran up to the door to see a tall man with short blond hair, and rather expensive clothing._

 _He looked down at her and smiled. "I hear you're the strongest Mage in this church?"_

 _Hellen flushed slightly, rubbing her feet together as she looked around nervously, shaking her head. He frowned slightly. Asta skipped up to stand beside her, smiling cheerfully. "Hellen doesn't talk a lot! So she usually nods, shrugs or hits you!" Embarrassed by his description of her, she hit him on the back of the head before realizing what she had done and clasping her hands behind her back sheepishly._

 _The man laughed at this, crouching down to her. "Could you show me some of your Magic, Hellebore?" She looked hesitant before Yuno patted her shoulder in an encouraging manner. "Hellebore, I wanna see some too!"_

 _Hellen finally gave in, frowning slightly. 'How did he know my full first name? Maybe Sister told him,' she thought, before letting the man lead her outside. He stopped after a bit, and she held out her hands, a small light emitting from them._

 _He watched, curious, before smiling in an almost proud way. Hellen did not notice, focusing on the light, before a small sapling sprouted, quickly growing into a tree twice the man's size, and Hellen slowly lowered it onto the ground. She took a step back from it, before she heard clapping._

 _"That was great!" The blond man congratulated. "Let me give something else for you to remember me…"_

 _'…Why 'something else?' And not 'something to remember me?' '_

* * *

"Fa—" Before she could finish speaking, Yami had walked up to the masked man and began dragging him away.

"Yami~! Let go!" The man whined childishly, thrashing slightly.

"Shut up! Don't just wander off like that ya dweeb!"

Yuno, eyes trailed to the two men, stalked over to Hellen's side, holding her hand possessively. She smiled at him lightly, before frowning as she gazed at the blond man. "Fight?" She murmured to him, pointing to the circle, where a noble stood. The man had a rather confident air around him, obviously thinking he would win.

Yuno shot the man down with a single Wind Magic attack.

Hellen clapped softly, and Yuno ruffled her hair, before the couple and Asta watched the last match play out.

"And that concludes the matches. Now, the selections…" William paused for a slight dramatic effect, making Hellen smile slightly. "When your number is called, come forward." He turned to his fellow captains. "Whichever captain wants that Hopeful, please raise your hand." Then he turned back to the Hopefuls. "The choice to enter the Order of Knights that chooses you, as well as choosing between multiple orders, if that happens, is up to all you young Mages. Now then, number 1 step forward."

Yuno and Hellen watched as, one by one, other contestants were chosen, occasionally some failing (though it was rare), most only chosen by one captain.

Finally… "Next, Number 164." Yuno let go of Hellen's hand, and waved to her slightly before walking to stand before the captains.

Slowly, one-by-one, the captains raised their hands. Gasps of awe quickly spread across the group of 15-year-olds, making Hellen smile in pride. She knew he could do it.

"I request Golden Sunrise." William smirked slightly, his eyes narrowing.

"Next, Number 165."

Asta stepped forward, walking to where Yuno had just a moment ago, closing his eyes, praying to be chosen – he didn't care who it was.

There was a moment of silence, before Asta's eyes widened, realizing what was going on.

"Of course this would happen…" Yami took a drag from his cigarette. "…even if you're really good in a fight, nobody wants a power they don't know how to deal with." Yami threw his cigarette onto the ground. "Like the name _implies…_ " He stomped on it, effectively putting it out. "The main thing we look for in a Magic Knight is Magic Power…" Just as he said this, a huge aura appeared around him, overwhelming several people.

It felt like something was smothering them – pushing them to the ground and strangling them, trying to kill them. "Also known as Mana." Hellen subconsciously took a step back, nervous. "Nobody here wants you because you _have_ no Mana. You said you wanted to be the Sorcery Emperor…" Yami jumped down from the second level to stand before Asta. "That means you're going to have to surpass the nine of us captains. Do you _still think_ that _you_ , who has _no Mana_ , can say that _to_ _ **my**_ _face?!_ "


	7. Year 1: First Sping - Stage 2, Step 4

Asta looked dumbstruck, shaking slightly. His lips trembled, before he gulped, steadying himself. "To be honest…I don't care if I don't get chosen today, no matter how many times I screw up and fail, no matter how many times people put me down and call me names, one day I _will_ achieve my goal – I _WILL_ become the Sorcery Emperor!"

Yuno and Hellen smiled at this, blocking out the murmurs of disbelief and mockery being exchanged around them. Yami lit another cigarette, lit it, and took a drag before pointing at Asta. "You're…" Asta gulped. "…Funny! Come to the Black Sheep's Brook."

Asta's expression went blank, clearly shocked by the captain's words. "…What?"

Yami grabbed Asta's head, the smothering atmosphere returning full force. "By the way, you have no say in the matter…"

'WHAAAAT?'

"Be prepared to go through Hell and back, in the Black Sheep's Crook!"

'WHAAAAAAAT?'

"And one day, become the Sorcery Emperor."

Asta perked slightly, looking at the (much) taller man in surprise. None of them had believed in him…

'There's no way in Hell you'll be the Emperor!' 'Haha! As if! Keep dreaming!'

But this man…Hellen…Yuno…but this man…

Someone he had only met today…

"YES SIR!" Asta shouted, and stepped out from the center of the circle. He felt a pat on his shoulder, and turned to see Hellen and Yuno, smiling at him.

She nodded proudly, before her number was called and she was about to step forward when Yuno whispered something in her ear. Hellen glanced at him hesitantly before nodding, walking into the circle.  
Once again, all the captains raised their hands. Hellen closed her eyes and sucked in a breath.

"I choose…"

 ** _"Look after Asta for me, please?"_**

"Black Sheep's Crook."

Not a sound was heard for a moment before Yami turned to the green haired girl, whom had her eyes shut tightly, her lips pursed, her fists shaking.

"…Why us?" He asked her, startling the other captains. Any of them would be glad to have her, without question.

"I…" She hesitated for a moment, gripping the hem of her jacket. "Personal reasons," she whispered, and he stared at her before nodding, accepting the answer.

As the atmosphere became more settled (since the selections had ended), Asta was quickly running off, claiming that 'he had to go to the bathroom.' Hellen noted that Zeke had gone to follow the ash blond and she met eyes with Yuno, who nodded, showing he had noticed as well, before walking after the two. After a moment, Zeke came walking out in a hurried fashion, a scared expression on his face.

Hellen smiled, giggling slightly under her hand before seeing Asta and Yuno, the former leaving before the latter. She run up to her fiancé and hugged him, digging her face into his chest.

He held her tightly, before letting go, smiling at her. "I'll see you again soon, I promise," he whispered, and she nodded, pulling him into another hug before parting with him, running to Asta.

"Poor couple, being separated…" "Well, she had the choice to be with him, didn't she? Why'd she choose to leave?" "I don't know…"

"Hey, Hellen, why're you coming to Black Sheep's Crook?" Asta asked, running alongside her to meet up with Yami. She glanced over her shoulder to Yuno, before looking straight ahead. "…Secret."

"Aw, no fair! Tell me!"

"No."

When they finally found the captain, the first the he said was "You have _some balls_ , makin' me wait this damn long for you. How damn long d'you take on the toilet?"

"S-Sorry, I—"

"Who the _ told you to give us the _ing details on your _?" Yami growled, grabbing Asta's head.

Hellen let out a small sigh, gently placing a hand on Yami's arm and giving him a look. The two had a small staring match before he grunted, letting go of Asta. "Finral, let's go," he commanded, turning to the blond boy.

"Yessir," he almost sighed, opening his Grimoire. He held out his hands, his fingers pinched, slowly spreading them, splotches of a black portal forming slowly. It suddenly grew until it was about Yami's height, and Asta gazed at it in awe. "Whoa! What is that thing?" He exclaimed, Hellen nodding.

"Since you can't fly, you're gonna have to learn some other kind of Movement Magic. Oh wait, that's right, you can't _use_ magic can you?"

"Um…sorry to bother you, Captain, but it's kinda hard to maintain a portal this big, so could you please enter?"

"Who the _ do you think you're giving orders to, jackass? Why don't you try to surpass your limits here?"

'What did I do?!' Finral thought, before Hellen stepped through, blinking slightly as new sunlight hit her eyes. She looked around, seeing that she was on a dirt path in a forest, and before her was a rather large, stone building with several parts, chimneys, balconies and windows.

"Get in." "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Hellen was knocked forward, her face scraping against the dirt and stone on the ground. She winced, feeling Asta slowly recover from on her back. "Ah! I'm sorry Hellen! Are you okay?!"

She nodded, taking the blonde's offered hand and standing. "Wow…" Asta murmured, seeing the Order's home base. "This is the Black Sheep's Crook..?" He murmured.

The quiet moment was interrupted when an explosion set off. "What…" Hellen was at a slight loss for words.

There was tons of chatter and arguments. 'Sounds like a fight,' Hellen mused to herself, before turning to Yami, who grinned. "Welcome…"

"DIE-DIE-DIE-DIE-DIE!"

"You're as cute as ever today too, little sister…WOULD YOU GUYS SHUT UP?!"

"Ugh, this hangover is insane…"

"I still bet I'm stronger than you!"

"They're at it again…" Finral murmured casually, as if it happened every day (which it probably did).

Yami threw his cigarette down. "…to the lowest ranked and worst Order of Magic Knights, the Black Sheep's Crook."

"Loud…" Hellen murmured, patting down her blouse and jacket. Asta took a deep breath, before looking up again, shouting: "My name is Asta, I'm from Hadge Village! As of today, I am a fellow member of the Black Sheep's Crook! I look forward to working with you all!"

"The pudding you make is always delicious!" A cheerful one said, casually dodging shots of Magic another was sending, who was muttering: "I can remember doing a shot challenge with a guy at the bar but after that…" And so on.

"Would you guys give it a rest?! How are you going to repay my little sister if she hears you jackasses?!" Another shouted. He had wavy white hair, covering his left eye, a mirror floating behind him.  
'It must have something to do with his Magic,' she thought, before turning to Asta, who was frozen.

"They…didn't hear a word…" He mumbled, before Hellen spotted a ball of fire heading their way. She grabbed Asta and pulled him out of the way, just as the fireball hit the wall behind them. "REVENGE FOR MY PUDDING!" And laughter followed.

More bickering followed, and Yami's aura slowly increased, making Hellen hold Asta's arm a bit closer to her. "You guys…" He slammed his fist into wall, ultimately shattering it like glass. "STOP DESTROYING THE PLACE!"  
 **Year One: First Spring - Second Stages, Step Four**

'YOU'RE JUST AS BAD!' Asta screamed in his mind. Hellen perked slightly as the fighting stopped, and the group of people was suddenly mobbing Yami, shouting things she'd rather not try to understand. Yami smiled. "Is that right? Y'all like me a lot, huh? But…" His expression darkened. "Shut the Hell up!" Which drew out a chorus of apologies.

After the group had settled down, Yami placed a hand on Hellen and Asta's shoulders. "These are our newest members. Show 'em the ropes without actually killin' 'em, got it?"

"…Hellen," Hellen introduced, holding up her hand slightly, trying not to make eye contact with any of them. But the one with the glasses caught her attention and they stared at each other for a few seconds before Hellen averted her gaze to Asta.

"MY NAME IS ASTA, I'M FROM HADGE VILLAGE! AS OF TODAY, I AM A FELLOW MEMBER OF THE BLACK SHEEP'S CROOK! I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL!"


	8. Year 1: First Sping - Stage 3, Step 1

**Year One: First Spring - Third Stages, Step One**

Hellen nodded in approval, before turning to Yami. "There're a few others who're in our group, but some of 'em 're on missions, vacation, maybe just don't feel like showin' up. Well, try to get along with 'em all."

"When you say Hadge, you mean the small village at the edge of the map?" A (almost naked) woman asked, slightly surprised. She stalked up to Asta, swaying her hips slightly and gingerly held his chin, smiling at him. "Being from out in the wild and making it into the Magic Knights, you've done well for yourself, boy…" Asta's face exploded into a cherry shade of red. "How about I do something _nice_ for you?"

Asta turned around, clearly ghosted. "Thanks for the offer but I already have my heart set on someone else!" He squeaked, and Hellen sighed, knowing he was talking about her. The woman suddenly vomited, and Hellen pinched the bridge of her nose.

'Must be a hangover…'

Someone stomped their foot on the ground. "Come on now…" Hellen looked over her shoulder to see the one with tinted glasses, a tuft of dark hair sticking straight up, a stripe of white on its either side, before turning black again near his ears. Above his left eye, there was a split with three bolts(?) on each side. He sneered. "A weak little shrimp like you from East bumble_ is the newest member of the Black Sheep's Crook?" 'Gangster!' Asta thought, taking a step back. "I don't know how much head you gave Yami, but until you have one of these robes, I, Magna Swing, will never consider you one of us. Even if you were Yami's right hand man…"

"Magna, what about Hellen?" Finral asked amusedly, gesturing to the green haired girl. Magna scoffed.

"She's already got my respect, dip_, you know why," he growled, and Finral nodded, crossing his arms.

"Let me have a Magic Knight robe please!" Asta begged, and Magna chuckled.

"So you want one, huh..? That's good, that's good…but _before_ you do, **you're gonna have to go through the Black Sheep's Crook's Welcoming Ceremony…** " he turned to Hellen, his expression becoming calm. "You too." Before he dragged Asta outside, Hellen following him.

"Hellen." She turned to Yami. "You're fighting Gauche."

"…Gauche?" She questioned, and Yami gestured to the white haired male, his mirror still floating by his side. Hellen nodded.

"I am Gauche, pleased to meet you," the white haired male bowed slightly, and Hellen hesitated before doing so as well. "I hope neither of us die."

'…' Hellen closed her eyes to take a deep breath before standing a few meters to Asta's right, across from Gauche.

"I don't care what method you use, all you have to do is either block 're dodge the Attack Magic that we're about to throw at you two. If you do that, you'll be one of us, and we'll give you the robes, got it?"

"And thus begins the unofficial ceremony once again," the drunk woman yawned, and a cheerful boy to her right laughed. "Who cares, it's entertaining!"

"BRING IT ON!" Asta challenged, and Hellen nodded in agreement. Gauche's mirror floated so it was in front of him and he muttered something and a beam of light shot towards Hellen. She held up her hands, and closed her eyes, focusing. Just as the beam of light was about to reach her, her eyes snapped open.

 **"Shatter Magic: Disperse."**

Hellen flung her arms apart, and the light split in half, before blowing away like ashes. Gauche's eyes widened, and he grabbed his mirror, pulling it out of the way as the split neared him. Hellen straightened her back, turning to Asta to see how he was doing.

In fact, she looked just in time to see him slam a ball of fire with the spine of his sword, reflecting the attack and send it straight back to Magna. Her eyes widened and she quickly ran over to Asta to check if he was okay. He seemed to be fine, but he was staring at his large sword in a rather surprised way. "What was he thinking, trying to kill a new member on their first day? Wait…he didn't die did he?" Asta panicked.

Magna stood from the rubble, grumbling in pain. "I almost died from my own Magic…HEY PUNK!"

"Y-Yes!" Asta stammered.

Magna's glasses fell to the ground, broken. "You're pretty damn good!"

"…Huh?"

"You didn't simply block or avoid it, you sent my Magic right back at me! I like you, Shrimpster!" Magna grinned, patting Asta's back maybe a bit harder than he thought he was. "I'm from the country too! I'm from Layacker, just a bit north form Hadge!"

"Damn, that's way out in the woods!"

"You're the last person I should be hearing that from!"

Hellen chuckled slightly, before turning to Gauche. The man was standing almost directly beside her, offering her the Black Sheep's Crook robe. She smiled, nodding in thanks, before taking it and putting it on.

"But, it's not that I have a little bit of Mana, I have none to speak of…" Asta said nervously.

"What? You have _no_ Mana?" Magna said, a slight scowl on his face. "That makes what you've done even awesomer! You're a real man, ain'tcha?"

The group flocked Asta and Hellen, thought mostly talking to Asta, complimenting his performance.

"Now then, let's begin Round 2! You're gonna fight me!" Another cheerful boy said, smiling. Asta took a step back. "N-No thank you…"

"This is good, would you two like to try some?" A short woman asked, and the two hesitantly took up on the offer. Asta began to gush that it tasted great, while Hellen calmly ate hers, noting to later vomit because of the overuse of sugar.

"Here…" Magna handed the ash blond a robe. "This is yours, Asta."

"And, as an added bonus…" The previously drunk woman waved a small wand, and the stitches in Asta's hairband turned into the crest for the Order.

"And now, you two are officially members of the Black Sheep's Crook!" Magna grinned, and Hellen smiled, fist bumping her childhood friend, who shouted thanks and bowed.

"So these are the new members…" Hellen heard softly and looked up to see a white haired girl, who met eyes with her, turning to Asta. "…What an insect."

"You better do well enough that you don't soil our name, got it?" Yami asked, and Asta pumped his fists, grinning.

"YESSIR!"

"Get excited, 'cause as a special bonus, I'm gonna show you around the joint!" Magna shouted, gesturing to the Order's home base. "FOLLOW ME SHRIMPSTER!" Magna shouted, running off.

"RIGHT BEHIND YOU SHADY!" Asta shouted back, running after him.

"The name is Magna…"

"Hey, we haven't finished introducing ourselves yet," the woman whined, and Hellen sighed, before running after the excited duo.

"THIS IS THE MESS HALL!"

"It's HUUUUUUUGE!" Asta fawned, and Hellen was about to take a step in before Magna grabbed her hand and dragged her off again.

"THIS IS THE BATHHOUSE!"

"THIS IS ALSO HUGE!"

"DOWN THIS HALL IS WHERE THE WOMEN SLEEP! IF A GUY TRIED TO PASS THROUGH, HE'LL ACTIVATE THE TRAPS AND DIE!"

"HUUUH?! YOU DIE FOR THAT?!"

"AND THIS IS THE WILD BEAST'S DUNGEON!"

"Why the Hell is that even…"

"Because Yami likes it," Magna said before dragging the poor girl off again, Asta right behind them. "And over here…oh?"

Magna slowed to a stop, his grip on Hellen slackening. The green haired girl held her mouth, running over to a conveniently placed drain to vomit. After a moment, she panted a little, before looking to where Magna and Asta stood, seeing the same silver haired girl as she saw previously.

"Is this where you were?" Magna asked the girl before turning to Asta and Hellen. "Asta, Hellen, this one's your equal. She's the other one who was admitted this year."


	9. Year 1: First Spring - Stage 3, Step 2

Hellen's eyes widened, recognizing the girl as nobility. "I am Hellebore, pleased to meet you. You may call me Hellen," she introduced, bowing. Asta glanced at the green haired girl. That was the longest phrase he'd heard her say in a while. The girl nodded to Hellen, showing she accepted the introduction.

"I am—"

"I'M ASTA FROM HADGE VILLAGE, LET'S WORK HARD TO GET TO OUR SEPARATE GOALS!" Asta said happily, holding out his hand. The girl slapped his hand away, holding her chin high.

"Who gave you, permission to speak to me?" The girl flipped her hair. "You little insect with a scant amount of Mana!" She placed her hands on her hips. "I am Noelle Silver, of this country's royal line."  
Asta looked shocked before bowing. "Please forgive this insect, he didn't realize who he was talking to…"

"So long as you understand," Noelle said.

"Hey…" Asta began, before shooting up, getting in Noelle's face. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING AN INSECT?! THE TWO OF US ARE EQUALS IN THIS ORDER! YOU BEING ROYALTY DON'T MATTER IN THE LEAST!"

"Commoner," Noelle said calmly, closing her eyes. The word seemed to trigger Magna, who pumped his fists. "THAT'S RIGHT ASTA, TELL HER!"

"Foolish _low born_ , are words too difficult for you to understand?" She asked. Hellen was still wondering why none of these words were being aimed towards her. "Then I'll make you understand with the overwhelming difference in Mana." She held up her hand, which glowed a faint blue. Asta took a step back, bracing himself as she shot her Magic forward.

It swerved to her left, and hit Magna dead-on, covering him in a large ball of water.

"…Huh?" Asta muttered, seeing Magna fly backwards. Noelle narrowed her eyes, seeming agitated before regaining her composure. 'Maybe she can't control her Magic?' Hellen mused to herself, before stepping forward. Noelle glanced at her, her arms returning to her sides.

"You little _...you'll pay for that!" Magna growled.

"You happened to be standing in the wrong spot…who said you could stand there?" Noelle asked, and Hellen looked up.

"I gave him permission to stand where he pleased, I take full responsibility, I apologize," Hellen said bowing. Magna looked at the green haired girl, who had her lips pursed, trembling slightly.

'…She's scared,' Magna thought, before turning back to Noelle. "I'm higher ranked than you, and I don't care if you're royalty or the sister of the captain of the Silver Wings! The only reason you're here is—"

Hellen placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. Magna calmed down, slackening his shoulders.

"I'll have you know I want nothing to do with this Order," Noelle stated, taking a hold of Hellen's wrist and pulling her away as she threw down her own robe. "I will show you the girls' dorms."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, GRABBING HER?! DO YOU KNOW WHO SHE IS?!"

'Who I am?'

"Yes, she doesn't seem to be bothered by it, does she?" Noelle asked, and Magna couldn't find anything to argue with. "Hmph."

"AND WHERE'S MY DAMN APOLOGY?"

"What's with her..?" Asta wondered. Hellen let Noelle pull her back to the girls' dorms, and they passed through the trap-filled hallway before reaching a few doors. Noelle stopped, letting go of Hellen's wrist. "…Do want a shared room or one for your own?"

Hellen shrugged, and Noelle frowned. "You don't talk much, do you, Your Highness?" Hellen frowned, confused by her new 'nickname,' before shaking her head, and Noelle sighed slightly. "I will share a room with you; it both makes it simpler, and I can keep a closer eye on you."

"…Caretaker?" Hellen asked, pointing at Noelle, who crossed her arms and nodded.

"Bodyguard," Noelle corrected and Hellen smiled slightly, before turning to the rather neat and polished door. "That is our room, Your Highness. Tomorrow, shall we head to town? We should get you some more proper clothing," the silver haired girl said, eyeing Hellen's leather jacket, white blouse, and skirt.

Her messenger bag didn't bother the noble much, though; it was rather stylish, with patterns burned into the leather surface.

Hellen shrugged, before touching her silver hairpiece. Noelle shook her head. "No, just a wardrobe change – those clothes don't suit you at all!"

The green haired girl smiled at the silver haired girl's behavior, seeing that she had a softer, more caring side. Noelle, again, grabbed onto Hellen's wrist and opened the door to – now – their room, which was neatly done, everything organized and clean to the point that the stone almost sparkled. The bed was made; with three pure white pillows, a gray sheet and embroidered blanket. Noelle hummed in thought.

"There is only one bed…Your Highness, you can sleep on the bed, I will sleep on the chairs," she declared, but Hellen shook her head, simply walking to the bed and moving the pillows so they were side-by-side, the third migrating to the chair by the window.

Noelle blushed. "Y-Your Highness, I do not want to—"

Hellen held up her hand, shaking her head. "It's fine…" Noelle nodded, giving in. "…Call me Hellen."

"I cannot call you Hellen, that would be an extreme offense!" Noelle protested, and Hellen sighed, nodding. She looked around the room.

It was rather large, probably five meters wide, and seven long, a tall ceiling looming above the two, wooden scaffolding spread out higher up. There was a large window before them, a small table and a chair in front of it, the white, silky curtains drawn. To the far left, there was a bookshelf with an assortment of objects and novels neatly lined up, organized by surname of the author. Between Hellen's direct left and the far left, there was a mirror and a dresser, and a banner hung just before the door.

Looking to her right, she saw (again) the bed, a bedside table with a candle lamp, a reading book with a bookmark beside it. Between the bedside table and the wall to Hellen's direct right, there was a rug, with pillows on it, and a few spare blankets and towels neatly folded.

Noelle hurriedly took the blankets and towels and placed them in the dresser, and Hellen looked down, seeing that she was standing on a fur rug. 'Must have been expensive,' Hellen noted, before looking up again, seeing Noelle digging around her dresser before taking out a rather extravagant white blouse, and held it in front of Hellen, checking the size, before nodding, digging through the dresser again before finding a skirt, and held it in front of Hellen once again checking the size, frowning, and looking through the dresser.

As Noelle busied herself, Hellen patiently held her hands behind her back, tracing her finger over her silver ring.

"Here," Noelle said, placing a short, white dress in Hellen's arms. "This will fit a bit better than those baggy clothes of yours, Your Highness." The green haired girl frowned, before moving to take off her jacket. Noelle quickly closed the door and began to help Hellen.

'Why does she insist on doing this?' She wondered, but didn't really mind, letting the silver haired girl do as she pleased. After a few moments, Noelle took a step back and nodded.

Hellen looked in the mirror, blinking. The dress was much more extravagant than she had originally thought. The top half was much like a blouse; frills down the buttoned front, a short collar fitting snugly around her neck with a gold band that fastened in the front. The sleeves were baggy, but tightened around her elbows, a silver button to loosen and tighten it. Around her waist was a white ribbon, with a leather belt Noelle had supplied her with for her Grimoire.

Her skirt reached between her hips and her knees, and her iron bottom boots were as obvious as ever. They seemed to have some sort of Adaption Magic that allowed them to fit her form perfectly, and they had extended themselves to reach her knees and a bit above, as if trying to cover her up.

"Much better…now you look more like who you really are," Noelle smiled. Hellen was still confused. So many people seemed to know something she did not, and acted as if she knew as well.

But she did not.

"Ah, I should not have dressed you…" Noelle frowned, making Hellen tilt her head. "Do you want to come to the baths with me?"

Hellen shrugged, nodding. Noelle smiled happily, holding one of Hellen's hands with both of hers, pulling her to the bathhouse. The green haired girl smiled, glad she had found a good friend.


	10. Year 1: First Spring - Stage 3, Step 3

Hellen carefully rubbed Noelle's back with the sponge, careful not to hurt the silver haired girl. "Your Highness, if I may…you are 17, yes?" Hellen nodded. "Then why didn't you get your Grimoire two years ago?"

Hellen paused for a moment, remembering the ceremony. "…I didn't get one last year, nor before that," Hellen explained briefly.

"You mean you weren't chosen?" Noelle asked in surprise, and Hellen nodded, motioning for the noble to raise her arm. Noelle complied, before her brows knit together. "That's a bit strange, isn't it?"  
Hellen just shook her head, before using a small bucket to douse Noelle's soaped back and arm in water. "Done."

"Let's switch then," Noelle said, and Hellen nodded, wading forward slightly as Noelle stood and sat down again behind Hellen, and began to do as she had done to her. The two sat in a comfortable silence before the noble announced that she had completed her task and the two waded around in the bath, finding a place to sit. Hellen was the first to do so, and sank in so just her eyes were above the water, and she closed them, blowing bubbles with her nose.

Noelle took a seat beside her, except she had to perch, since she was shorter than the girl, therefore making it harder to keep her mouth and nose above water.

"…Your Highness?" Hellen opened her eyes, looking over her shoulder at Noelle. "Are you perhaps engaged to anyone?"

Hellen looked away from Noelle, pulling her head from under the water and leaning back slightly, letting her hair drift about. "Yes…Yuno," Hellen said fondly, smiling at the thought of the black haired boy. "I've known him since he was an infant, we grew up together. Asta too."

Noelle nodded, smiling slightly. "I hope it all ends well for you and Yuno." Hellen nodded, tracing her fingers over the inside side of her wrist, where a small ink symbol of a crane was, the letter _Y_ just behind it as a backdrop.

Since he couldn't afford a ring, he had given both of them an emblem to show their engagement – a crane.

After a good half-hour in the bathhouse, the two girls dried off, before re-dressing themselves and walking back to their room, talking about random things. Well, it was a bit one-sided; seeing that Noelle was doing most of the talking and Hellen would either nod, shake her head or shrug, maybe doing a gesture of some sort.

On the way back to their room, they ran into the half (or was it a quarter) clothed woman, who smiled. "Oh, it's Hellen! Nice to meet you, I'm Vanessa, I hope you turn out to be a great partner." Hellen nodded, shaking her hand. "And you looked lovely," Vanessa added before walking off. "I'll take you two shopping later!"

The two continued until they reached their room, opening the door. There was a mirror, Gauche's face reflected on it. He calmly looked at the girls, Noelle scowling and Hellen waving in 'hello.' He nodded to her, before clearing his throat. "Dinner in about twenty minutes." Hellen nodded in understanding. "I'll be off then." The mirror floated out the window, Gauche disappearing from the glass.

"Men should not be in the girls' sleeping quarters, it's disgusting," Noelle stated boldly, and Hellen giggled at this. They soon exited the room once more to walk to the mess hall, and Hellen noted Asta's absence. She quirked a brow, and Magna seemed to understand.

"I think he's cleaning his room," Magna explained, and Hellen nodded, taking a seat beside the young man, Noelle (dutifully) taking a seat on Hellen's other side. Magna passed Hellen a plate of food, but didn't bother with Noelle, not even noticing her presence. The silver haired noble simply stood and went to fetch herself her meal, and Hellen slowly began to eat.

Yami plopped down across from Hellen staring at her, his eyes narrowed. She paused for a moment, looking up at him. They had a rather long staring match before Yami said: "You've got a lot to learn, kiddo." Hellen nodded, and Noelle returned, and saw Yami.

Noelle stuck her nose into the air, closing her eyes, and sitting beside Hellen. The green haired girl smiled slightly, finishing her food and making a few motions with her hands. Yami raised a brow, shaking his head. The two exchanged a few gestures before Noelle finished her meal and stood, taking Hellen's plate and hers to the kitchen.

Magna stared after her then turned to Finral, and they both shrugged. Hellen stood, hurrying after the silver haired girl to wash the dishes.

After the ceramics were a shiny and polished white and back in the various shelves and cupboards, Hellen bid the others goodnight, before jogging after Noelle and continuing on her way to their room. Hellen tapped Noelle's shoulder, and tilted her head, frowning. Noelle stared at the green haired girl for a moment before shaking her head: "It's nothing."

Hellen sensed her aura flicker, and she bit her cheek before shrugging, her expression returning to its usual calm expression and she opened the door, walking in. Hellen stared at the bed for a moment before moving to undress to go to sleep, but Noelle hurriedly (once again, closed the door before) going to her dresser and taking out a spare nightgown. "Here, Your Highness…"

Hellen smiled at Noelle softly, taking the nightgown and changing into it, Noelle of course insisting to aid her in doing so. "Goodnight…" Hellen said quietly, climbing into bed. "Don't stay up too late…"

Noelle nodded, sitting by the window, watching the older female slowly fall asleep. As the moonlight began to drip through the window, Noelle decided that Hellen had fallen asleep, and quietly let the room, leaving the door slightly agape to let in some cool air.

She quietly left the building, and found herself at a familiar clearing in the forest, where a target was painted onto a tree. Noelle took a deep breath, clearing her mind before slowly gathering her Mana in her hands. She watched the water build up in her hands, before she shot it towards the target.  
Again, the sphere of clear liquid swerved and missed the tree completely. Scowling, the noble tried again…

And again…

And again…

And again, until she was almost on her knees from exhaustion. "Why can't I hit...what I want to?" The memories of her family mocking her flooded back, and she clenched her fists. "I can't let them think that!" She shot forth another ball of water, but once again it missed by a large margin. "Why is this happening?! What am I doing wrong?!" She shouted.

Out of pure rage, she fueled her hands with all the Mana she could muster, and shot it forth.

Noelle waited for the sound of the water missing completely, but instead she felt herself being enveloped by liquid. She held her breath, shutting her eyes as tightly as possible.

What had she done wrong?

What did she do to deserve all this mockery?

Would Hellen hate her too after she found out?

…

Yuno felt a slight disturbance in the air, and looked up from his night-reading book. He frowned, before looking back at his book.

"Yuno?"

His eyes widened slightly and he looked up. "Helle…" He began, but when he saw nobody, he let out a small sigh.

Must be exhaustion getting to him, he concluded. He placed the book on the ground by his bed before turning on his side, closing his eyes and slowly falling asleep.

Again, there was a disturbance.

He sat up, brows furrowing. 'What is that wavering coming from?'

…

Hellen woke up to the sound of the trees creaking, wind smashing against her window, a few raindrops following that. She ran to the glass, and her eyes widened at the sight. "Noelle!" She exclaimed, seeing the huge sphere of swirling water surrounding and drowning the silver haired girl.

Hellen dashed out the door, running down the hallways to the main entrance. She ran out of the building, to the sphere of water, where the other members of the Black Sheep's Crook were. "Her Mana is out of control," Yami summarized to her, and she nodded, brows furrowing in worry.

"If we try to suppress that with a Magic Attack, that girl inside'll probably die." Hellen raised her hand, and Yami looked down at her. "What?"

She put her hands around her head, before patting the air, then miming swinging a sword.

"Oh yeah, that Asta kid." As the blond's name left the captain's mouth, Asta flew out of the sphere or water, drained of most energy. "Oh, hey, you flew out just as I was thinking of you." Yami held his arm out, hitting Asta's back and the ash blond spat out all the water in his mouth and lungs.

Yami pointed to the sphere of water. "Go do something about that."

"Wait, how am I supposed to do that?!" Asta exclaimed, still on Yami's arm. "I can't fly!" The captain took a step forward, getting in a launching position, focusing some of his Mana on the arm Asta was leaning against. "Wait."

"Now is the time to surpass your own limits!" Yami shouted, throwing Asta into the air. The blond screamed a long 'no,' before closing his jaws so the air blasting into his mouth as not to be choked. Hellen's brows furrowed in worry and she looked at Yami, who glanced back at her. "Don' worry, I wouldn't kill 'im. Asta's got a lot of potential."

Hellen nodded at this. Asta's Grimoire began to float beside him, and he reached into it before pulling out his sword. Just as he was in range, Asta slashed the sword at the sphere.

The ball of water stopped flowing, and split in two, freeing the silver haired girl. Noelle opened her eyes slightly, breathing weakly, before the two began to fall.

'Whoopsies, forgot to plan the landing,' Yami thought, calmly watching the two teens as the fell to their doom. Hellen hurriedly ran to Finral, and grabbed his arm, pointing to Noelle and Asta with her other arm. Finral smiled. "I was already on it," he said, his Grimoire floating in front of him. He spread his arms and closed his eyes, focusing.

Hellen watched his strong aura grow larger and larger, reaching a small branch out to a bit below where Noelle and Asta were, and a portal formed. "Space Magic: Fallen Angel's Hole."

Another portal appeared beside Hellen, and Asta and Noelle came flying out. Noelle flopped straight to the ground, while Asta flew a few extra meters before smashing against the ground. Hellen was about to check whether or not he was still living, when he sprang up, shouting, "I'M ALIVE!" and adding, "Thank you Space Mage!"

Finral smiled, waving off the thanks.

"Nicely done kid!" Yami complemented, grinning widely.

"THANKS!" Asta exclaimed, before turning to Noelle. "Hey, you!" Noelle shook slightly at the sound of Asta calling to her.

Hellen heard her mutter things under her breath, dark memories, hateful words, daring Asta to make fun of her, call her a failure, hate her…

But of course…

"That's some crazy awesome Magic Power you have there!" Noelle perked at this, looking at Asta in surprise. "I have no Mana at all, so I'm _really_ jealous!" Asta said, almost cheerful. "If you train enough to control that, you'll be _unstoppable_!" Asta grinned, and jabbed a thumb towards his chest. "But there's _no way_ _ **I'll**_ lose out!"

"You mean, all this time your problem was that you couldn't control your Mana?" Magna asked, stepping forward. "You should've just said so. We're the Magic Knight Order of misfits, the Black Sheep's Crook. We can easily take care a' that problem of yours, dumbass."

"I'm just glad a pretty lady like you is safe," Finral smiled. "Oh, there's a place in town that serves foreign foods, wanna go there with me tonight?"

"Before that, have this pudding! My treat!"

"I'm an expert at Magic control (and pretty much nothing else), so I can show you the ropes…" Vanessa smiled, before turning to Hellen. "And I can show you two the bedroom's ropes too."

Hellen blushed softly, thinking of Yuno for a moment before shaking her head violently. Vanessa laughed at this, and Asta offered a hand to Noelle. "Come on, let's get started on our journey!"

Hellen smiled as Noelle took his offered hand, and a small rainbow formed as the rain fell, the only sound in the area before Noelle turned to Hellen, hurrying to the green haired girl. "Your Highness, are you okay? I'm sorry I caused such a ruckus over something—"

Hellen shook her head, placing a hand on Noelle's shoulder and smiling. "It's fine," she said sincerely before turning to Asta and tilting her head.

"I'm fine!" He announced, giving her a mock salute. She nodded, before rubbing her eyes groggily.

"Are you tired, Your Highness?" Noelle fretted.

Magna scowled as she called Hellen this, muttering something under his breath that Hellen didn't quite catch, despite her keen hearing. Hellen bobbed her head up and down dumbly, her eyelids growing heavy. Noelle dragged Hellen back to their room, and pushed her into the bed, before climbing in after her and pulling the blanket over both of them.

"Good night," Noelle said, not expecting any answer other than a smile or nod. She closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly, still exhausted (and a bit wet, but Hellen didn't bother to tell her) from the incident a few moments ago.

Hellen felt a small tingling on her wrist and rubbed the spot gently, her fingers brushing over her crane emblem.

The small Magic Emblem allowed them to have a small connection. When it was warm, it meant that they were close to each other. When it was cold, they were far away, and the other one felt lonely. When it tingled, the other was calm as they were, but doing something they should not.

'He must be overworking again,' Hellen traced the crane, before turning on her side, closing her eyes, feeling some warmth from Noelle, who slept directly beside her. 'Or just staying up late as always.'

With that, she fell asleep once more.


End file.
